7.15.2014

An iconic century-old Illinois College tree was cut down Monday because it posed a safety hazard to pedestrians who frequent the area and to nearby historic Sturtevant Hall.

The tree, along with the swing that was attached to it, was a center of tradition for many on campus and in the community. It often featured in graduation photographs and engagements and was a common stopping place for returning alumni.

On Monday, several people gathered to create one last memory.

For Class of 2005 alumna Jess Brown and her mother, Class of 1973 graduate Nancy Bartlett, the tree symbolizes times spent with family. Brown said her first memories of the tree involve swinging on it when her father, a former IC football coach, brought her to campus for breakfast with then-President Donald Mundinger.

Brown said she lived just a block away from campus, so they often visited campus to play on the swing.

“My sister and I would walk over here all the time, especially in the summer when there is no one here on campus, and it would be like our own little swing. We would swing and hang out,” Brown said.